A lot of children’s titles can remain in print for quite some time. Some titles get read by generation after generation as parents remember the books they loved as a child. The library still regularly re-buys children’s classics. They may be included in our Children’s and Young Adults’ core list or they may be safely tucked away in store waiting for their chance again. If it is less well known, there are many options these days to on track down a treasured memory. Here is Jane’s tryst with a country bunny.
Terrisa, Selector
I remember as a child always going to the local library with my mum, it was our wee routine. She would go upstairs and I would stay downstairs, tucked away in a corner happily reading on my own. Timaru Library in those days was in an old building filled with beautiful wood, old portraits of former librarians regally upright wearing dark looking robes for some reason, or maybe that’s just my memory playing tricks? They were foreboding looking though and slightly scary.
My favourite book which I must have had out more than any other child was The country bunny and the little gold shoes by Du Bose Heyward with pictures by Marjorie Flack.
It was a large book that you could spread over your lap and I never tired of this brave mother rabbit (I have since realised she was a solo parent) delivering all these beautiful Easter eggs with the help of her magic shoes. The Easter eggs were amazing – rooms full of them, glorious coloured wrappers just waiting for this little rabbit to pick them up in her basket and zoom off all over the world.
When my grandchildren were born I remembered this book and promptly looked to see if I could buy it. I was delighted to see that it was still in print. Eventually it arrived, complete with a pair of little gold shoes, but I was disappointed that it had been made smaller, somehow it lost some of its magic. However, it has pride of place in my bookcase and I can’t wait until our boys are old enough to appreciate this story – and even if they don’t, I still love it.
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